August 17, 2014

It seems in some ways that this has been the busiest week yet.  After our training with Richard Hunter last week, we had to do some catch up with the work we had missed. It kept us going in a big way.  Plus, it is Family History month in Australia.  We had so wanted to have a few articles about it on the website this month, and we were waiting for quotes on a couple of articles, and more information on a couple more.  So for the first part of the month, we were just waiting!  And waiting.  We were getting really worried that nothing would come in till September!  That wouldn't have been awful, but we just had this as a bit of a goal! 

About the time we mentioned this to Richard during a conference call, everything just started pouring in!  It was just the best thing. So,we did 4 articles in one week, and sent them in to be approved!  2 more to be written. Can't begin to tell you the feelings about Family History that flooded in as well.  But we'll try. 

Last Wednesday, night, we went to the temple.  I had a name of a lady from England who was born in 1655. ( Elizabeth was her 1st name, but I cannot remember her last. Her first two ordinances were done in Provo, Utah in 2008.  The last two were done on August 13th, 2014 in the Sydney Temple.  The person who had submitted her name is fromTasmania!  I sat there and looked at that card for the longest time! Look how long she had waited to get the first two done?  And then to wait again 6 more years to have it all done! I hope the day was as sweet for her as it was for me. That was the beginning.  

The next day was when those quotes and facts came in e-mail after e-mail, and some in phone calls.  It was so great. I spent one entire day on Thursday writing stories and submitting them for approval! 

Then this crazy thought occurred to us, that should have entered our brains sooner in the month.  The Roberts, a couple from West Kaysville, are here in the Family History Center to submit one million names from Australian cemeteries to Salt Lake for indexing.  One Million!  In 18 months.  No one will come the replace the Roberts when they leave, it was a one time assignment, just for these names. We decided to do a story on them, and while it may not go on the website in August, they don't head for home until October, and we want to get it up before that! There are some great pictures of them as they scan these cards and on breaks they open some and read about them.  There is so much more to this story, and we'll link you to the website when it goes up. More than just one million names, they hare one million people, who will now have their names available to have their work done.

Last night, Saturday here, I couldn't sleep until after midnight. Finally went to bed and slept till 4:00 a.m.! So unusual, because I had taken something at midnight to make sure I finally slept.  That usually gives me 8 hours.

At 4:00, I was wide awake, AGAIN! Went into the living room and said, OK, what is it I'm suppose to be doing?  I finally settled with the September Ensign and, what do I read first, but an article on Family History, page 24.  We are drawn to what is going on in our lives! It's a great article!

Then I read President Monsons message on page 4, 'Hastening the Work'. (I thought it would be on missionary work, and it was, but richer) Oh my goodness.  With the Elizabeth from England on my mind, and members of our families who have passed on, it was really, really a sweet experience. A President Monson quote from that article seemed especially profound to me:   

"The Lord has never, to my knowledge!, indicated that His work is confined to mortality. Rather, His work embraces eternity. I believe He is hastening His work in the spirit world. I also believe that The Lord, through His servants there, is preparing many spirits to receive the gospel. Our job is to search out our dead and then go to the temple to perform the sacred ordinances that will bring to those beyond the veil the same opportunities we have."

"Every good Latter-day Saint in the spirit world is busy, said President Brigham Young. What are they doing there? They are preaching all the time, and preparing the way for us to hasten our work in building temples here and elsewhere."

"Through our efforts in their behalf the chains of bondage will fall from them, and the darkness surrounding them,will clear away, that light may shine upon them,and they will hear in the spirit world of the work that has been done for them by their children here, and will rejoice in your performance of these duties." 

"There are millions of spirit children of our Heavenly Father who never heard the name of Jesus Christ before dying and going into the spirit world.  But now they have been taught the gospel and are awaiting the day when you and I will do the research necessary to clear the way so that we can go into the house of The Lord and perform for them the work that they themselves cannot do."

That isn't the whole article, but the parts that spoke to me. "That light may shine upon them".  Wow, makes doing Family History work so real!  We have often wondered what we will do when we get home, after being pretty busy here.  I think Family History may be our answer. 

I share this, so it will be in our journal, when we look back, and wonder what we should do, going forward.

All in all, a very good week.  We keep busy, the weeks pass, and we learn things that may never have touched us back home.  We need the stretching. 

We are so grateful for the e- mails that come from all of you!  One particularly nice one came from Karl West, as the High Priest Group Leader in the Fairfiield Ward, about Ann Clark and her miraculous progress after suffering from a wicked fall. We have been praying for her, and putting her and Elwood's name in the temple here, as all of her ward has, and it made us so happy to hear the news. What a blessing!

Love to you all, we miss you, and our hearts are with you. Please don't forget us, you are on our minds and on our hearts even in the busiest of times.  We love you!